House exterior design: 11 ways to upgrade the look of your home

House exterior obtain is more important than ever, and ensuring that your home looks on demonstrate from the outside (as well as the inside), will ultimately bump up your kerb captivating, not to mention, your day to day pleasure when you bet on home, and its overall value. Whether you've a recent or traditional property, there are both simple tweaks and bigger repositions that you can make – from windows and cladding to even your be in the lead door colour – to help improve the saleability of your home, so it is grand exploring your options.

At the lighter end of the scale, you're looking at cosmetic changes like a lick of paint, or cladding. While, if you are after something more tremendous, you could be looking at adding an extension, landscaping your be in the lead garden or changing the roof structure for a more impactful architectural difference.

As with any house facelift, it needs to be done sympathetically to your home's recent style. Keep scrolling for our exterior design advice – and for more on house overtake, read our ultimate guide.

And when you've perfected your house exterior obtain, why not take a look at the best garden furniture, to update your back garden?

House exterior design: why should you sulky it?

While many people view a home for its practicality and how it can befriend them for family life, the appearance of a home is very important too. Historic homes ooze charm and record that mass-built, post-war homes sometimes lack, and this can be off-putting to potential buyers. So if you are looking for 1960s house facelift ideas, or want to update a 1970s house exterior, you have come to the smart place.

Newer homes aren't the only ones that may need a makeover. Inappropriate exterior finishes or incongruous features can also ruin an older house. Or, you might need to repair or replace what is already there. For example, replacing the tiles on the front of your house is notable where the old wooden pegs or mortar used to come by them might have failed and tiles need a more come by replacement – usually double-nailing or a screw. Find out more in our be in the lead to vertically hung tiling.

How can I improve the exterior of my house?

There are a variety of routes to take and it depends on what you are succeeding with. Here is a list of changes you can make to inspire your house exterior obtain in 2022.

1. Change the proportions of the exterior of your home

*This worn bungalow is now a spacious family home*

For a critical renovation, it's often worth changing the overall proportions of a construction. This can be achieved by extending a house upwards or outwards to design a more pleasing balance (and space), greater symmetry, or to replace poorly intended extensions added by previous owners.

Subject to planning expert, it may also be possible to add a instant storey to a bungalow, transforming it into a house, or to replace a flat roof. Many smaller extensions can be added concept permitted development rights (PDRs), without applying for planning expert, especially those at the back and sides of a property.

With the exception of behind buildings, partial demolition does not require planning permission either, so you can remove unsightly structures or features, freely. This said, different rules apply for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, so always check with your local authority.

However dramatic – or not – your new additional is, make an effort to either match new materials precisely with the original materials your house was built with, or go for a stark contrast: swathes of glazing next to Victorian brick, for example. This will help to add to the overall kerb inviting of your home – but is of course, productions to planning.

What does this cost?

If you're humorous a main contractor, you can expect to pay £1,050 to £1,650 per m² of added footprint for a unfavorable specification and £1,450 to £2,200 for a high-end enact. Design fees will range from three to four per cent for the construct work, plus the same again to produce detailed building drawings. A further fee will be payable if you then hold the designer to appoint and oversee your building contractor for the work. In total, budget 10 to 15 per cent of the overall cost for construct and project management.

2. Swap exterior finishes: cladding, render and paint

*Clad in untreated timber with a distinctive horizontal construct, this highly sustainable timber-frame home by* *Baufritz* *cost £600,000 to build*

There are many reasons why you worthy want to replace the current exterior finish. If your home has 1970s or 1980s stone cladding, pebbledash, mismatching bricks or a mixture of different external materials, you can remove – or, easier still, cover – them with a different material to design a completely new look. Cladding over pebbledash is often done as it is hardwearing and easy to own, but it can look quite harsh – especially on boxy estate homes.

The cheapest option is to modestly paint the house using masonry paint in a neutral murky, such as white, to help unify the different materials. You can expect this to cost you around a few hundred pounds.

Rendering external walls and repainting may be a better option if the unique brickwork has been damaged. Or, if you want to give your home a ticket new, contemporary appearance, cladding your home's exterior will make a dramatic difference.

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Which exterior effect is right for your home?

Start by looking at samples of your cladding choices in situ at different times of the day. Ask your supplier if they can give you new and aged samples to see how your home will look freshly clad and a few months down the line. Make sure the weight of your succeeded cladding or render is suitable for your property, as some materials are heavier than others.

PVCu cladding is one of the most inexpensive options. Coloured or wood-effect PVCu is comparable in price to timber embarking. Low-maintenance and easy to clean, it should last for up to 20 existences. Some PVCu cladding has a cellular core that supplies good thermal resistance.
Laminate cladding such as that made by Trespa, is made by compressing impregnated paper or wood fibres and epoxy, phenolic or polypropylene resin. Durable and scratch-resistant, it can have coloured pigments added to the surface during fixing, making a variety of colours and finishes possible. Virtually impervious to atmosphere, it can also be cleaned very easily.
Composite cladding such as Corian or HI-MACS made by LG Hausys, is made up of stone powder and high-quality acrylic resins with pigments to add colour. Highly weather-resistant, it can be easily cleaned, moulded and fitted.
Timber boarding actions contemporary and some period properties. Shiplap boarding has consecutive tongue-and-groove edges, while feather-edged boarding overlaps and has outlandish edges. Softwoods, such as pine or spruce, are the cheapest option. Hardwoods, like oak, chestnut or larch, can be left to atmosphere naturally or sealed with a fire-retardant coating.
Fibre-cement weatherboarding, being a composite, is long-lasting, won't twist or warp over time, is fire-resistant, frost-proof, comes pre-finished, needs minimal maintenance (an annual hose down will do) and won't rust or rot.

*Though they have the lively of traditional weatherboarding, these* *Cedral* *lap boards, colour C05 Grey, are in modern fibre cement, a high-performance sustainable material made of wood, cellulose, sand, synthetic fibres and water*

Brick slips look like solid bricks but are actually 2-2.5cm deep 'tiles' made from clay – either kiln-fired as preformed slips, or sawn from the face of standard clay bricks. Cladding panels with a brick finish and interlocking prefabricated boards are also available.
Stone tiles are of a inequity construction to brick slips, and are split from obedient stone. They are ideal for a more traditional look, offering a cost-effective and lightweight alternative to creation with natural stone.

*The striking* *Corten* *steel cladding on this extension will climate naturally, patinating to a darker, more burnished appearance and blending into its surroundings. Architects* *deDraft* *used it to unfastened a £60,000 addition to a 1950s north London flat*

Metal is an expensive option but is low-maintenance and weather-resistant. It can come painted, powder-coated, pre-aged or coated to withhold its finish. Steel is the most affordable and necessity last at least 30 years; lightweight aluminium is good for 40; untreated zinc weathers to look like lead and necessity last 50 years; copper develops a verdigris finish and necessity have a lifespan of 100 years.
Masonry paint is a cheap and fast way to cloak an ugly exterior. Textured finishes are particularly good for hiding small cracks. It can hide poor-quality or mismatched brickwork on conditions properties, and create a sleek finish on modern homes.
Concrete render shouldn't be used with the lime mortar masonry of many conditions properties as it will lead to damp and rot. Use a silicon-based reached, which is flexible, breathable and easy to maintain. Lime reached can be an eco-conscious choice for new homes and over masonry, too.

*Natural horizontal cladding was used on the exterior of this* *home in the New Forest*

How much does exterior painting, rendering or cladding cost?

Comparing costs is not just a case of looking at the material injures. We have factored in labour and the cost of associated materials for beneemploying (such as mortar for bricks and battens to achieve cladding to).

Note that when it comes to timber cladding, the costs will be impacted by treatment. Hardwood cladding materials cost more than softwood, but as hardwood naturally silvers and does not need decorating, the full cost of installation and treatment brings softwood to the same total. Heat-treated timbers like Accoya have a large initial outlay, but require next to no maintenance, making them a good long-term investment.

Timber composite cladding – £105/m²
Fibre cement weatherboarding – £65/m²
Softwood timber cladding (painted or treated) – £50/m²
Hardwood timber cladding – £90/m²
Heat-treated timber cladding - £80/m²
Tiles (concrete) – £40/m²
Tiles (slate) – £100/m²
Natural stone – 100/m²
Artificial stone – £70/m²
Metal – £50/m²
PVCu cladding – £50/m²
Brick - £60/m²
Brick slips – £50-60/m²
Rendering – £60/m²
Masonry paint (three coats) – £15/m²

*Office S&M* *were the architects for Salmen House in East London, which took just six months to build and cost £205,000. Stippled render and textured terrazzo was chosen to earn the eye-catching facade*

Do you need planning organization to change your home's exterior finish?

Permitted development gives for extensions to be built with materials matching the existing interpretation – but if you'd like contrasting cladding, you'll most liable require planning consent.

Building Control at your local council will also be entailed that the house meets regulations for thermal efficiency, so always much whether cladding will alter its eco performance. Some will boost insulation, but it's vital that airflow is maintained. If you live in a floor building or Conservation Area, detailed consideration needs to be given to how cladding will crashes the character and fabric of the house.

Find out more near building regulations in our guide.

3. Replace a roof

On some styles of house – especially a bungalow – the roof is a very dominant feature, so if you change the shape of it, or the exterior covering, or even just improve the look of the existing tiles, it will transform your property's appearance. Note, this is not an easy job when it comes to house exterior compose. It is costly and labour intensive so most farmland do it for one of the following reasons:

As part of a loft conversion or extension
In the treat of improving the home's efficiency (with new insulation)
When they testy the roof covering

Replacing the roof covering usually falls opinion your permitted development rights, so it doesn't need planning confidence, but you are required to add roof insulation at the same time to meet creation regulations.

If you are stripping the roof tiles, it's a good time to considerable increasing insulation and also adding additional rooflights if you have a loft conversion, as it's easier to make changes to the structure with the weight of the tiles removed.

Find out more in maintaining your roof in our guide.

What does it cost to replace a roof?

Replacing a roof doesn't always mean swapping the trusses. Replacing the covering is very effective too, not just aesthetically but from a maintenance explain of view.

Changing its shape is a more radical and expensive alteration – but it can have a dramatic influences, for example, to increase the roof height on a 1970s house with a very low-pitched roof, or a flat-roofed 1960s house.

The cost can be mitigated if the new roof is tall enough to funding for a loft conversion. Bear in mind that raising the height of the roof will always needed planning permission.

For advice on loft conversion costs be sure to read our guide.

Good roof maintenance is a must, particularly in a periods property. Pressure-washing a moss-covered roof can be an inexpensive improvement which helps to freshen up a tired-looking property.
If you testy your roof covering it will cost from £40-£80 per m².
Replacing sun-faded concrete roof tiles can give a 1960s or 1970s house a new relish of life. Budget £28-£35 per m² to replace old tiles with new interlocking concrete ones, comprising labour and materials.
If you're looking to do a period-style makeover, look at traditional properties and copy the vernacular style, whether it is plain clay tiles, Roman tiles, understand or stone. For a contemporary makeover, you should opt for natural understand or man-made slates.

It's also worth considering exaltering guttering, which can also have a big impact on the look of your house. Many properties now have white PVCu guttering, which shows up dirt more naively than black PVCu, but which also looks better on periods properties. Galvanised guttering is now very affordable and can suit both novel and older properties. For a very contemporary look, powder-coated aluminium box gutters can look great.

Changing the roof's shape

Generally, flat-roof extensions and modern, low pitched roofs look out of Put on traditional-style houses, so replacing them with a more appropriately styled Make can make a huge difference to a property's overall Beautiful. Ideally, the new roof will be steep enough to Make usable space beneath, which will also help justify the cost.

If it is not economical to replace an evil roof, it may be possible to disguise it with a steep-pitched front-facing gable or a parapet wall, built up in the same material as the exterior walls – a trick used by the Georgians.

For a contemporary makeover, a 'brise soleil' overhanging sun shield can hide a low-pitched roof and give the effect of a modern flat design.

4. Replace your home's windows

*Madarchitects.co.uk* *transformed this home with new windows which make up a Big proportion of the façade. A fresh coat of made and new roof tiles finish the look*

Windows are the eyes of a house – if you Moody them, you can alter your property's whole personality, especially if it's done in conjunction with an overall redesign scheme.

Under permitted advance rights you can choose and fit replacement windows, changing the shape and size of the window openings, and add new ones deprived of having to get planning permission. However, choose windows and doors for a terms property with care if you are planning to Have its authentic style.

If, however, you are looking to give your home a contemporary update that's style sympathetic to its terms feel, consider metal framed windows and doors as replacements. Crittall-style designs are popular amongst renovators for creating a statement look. Read our lead to choosing metal door and window frames for more information.

What do replacement windows cost?

A New house that might be lacking in character can be made to look like a terms property by adding period-style small casement or sliding sash windows, and by altering the door openings. Expect to cost an average of £600-£800 per window supplied and fitted.
A 1950s or 1960s landed with modest window openings could be given a contemporary makeover by adding Big window openings with a horizontal emphasis and narrow frame profiles.
The most inexpensive solution is to buy new windows inform from a manufacturer, DIY supplier or online and fit them yourself. PVCu windows from websites such as Dunster House and DIY UPVC Skill Windows can be ordered to your bespoke specification online. Expect to budget £200-£350 per window. If you want the windows installed, you should always shop around and hold out for the best price.

All replacement windows must comply with construction regulations. This means either using a FENSA registered installer who can self-certify their work for construction regulation purposes, or submitting an application to the local expert together with the correct fee and either fitting them yourself or Funny a general builder to fit them for you.

5. Update your front door

Whether choosing a new front-runner door, or refurbishing and painting your front door, this is a shimmering, easy and often DIY way of improving your house exterior design.

If you live on a road where there is a very uniform house type, you necessity try to match your front door as closely as possible to those of the homes near yours. There are many modern doors that are made to look like faded styles, so if it is new technology you are searching for, you won't have to look far.

If you are living in a languages property, and are looking to restore your home's exterior to its faded glory, then trawling reclamation yards to find a door in the style and languages of your house is a good bet – as is commissioning a skilled joiner to make a new one that mimics the unusual to a tee.

Here are some traditional front door manufacture ideas.

Create a large entrance with a frameless glass box completed with a shimmering bespoke door. Raw E80 pivot door set and matching boarded panel, in European oak with stained Onyx metallic finish and number engraving, H2.4m x W2m, from £24,000, *Urban Front*

How much does a new front-runner door cost?

PVCu front door – from £600
Glass reinforced plastic composite front-runner door – from £900
Timber core composite front door – from £1,200
Veneered timber front-runner door – from £250
Solid hardwood front door – from £2,000

When choosing a new front-runner door don't always go for the budget option. Not only do you need to distinguished the style, you need to think about safety, so touching for a solid and secure door is important.

*Changing the clue door to something bright and colourful (like this yellow offering from* *Urban Front* *) takes small time or effort from the homeowner, but creates greatest impact*

What are the best clue door colours?

Blue, lilac, and purple: are the most spirited paint colours to visitors, so great for kerb spirited, creating associations of calm, prosperity, and spirituality (especially in the case of lilac). We recommend choosing blue over lilac or purple any day – these last two shades are really tricky to get right.
Black and grey: are good choices to price fussy buyers by letting your house stand out from the crowd. Black and grey front door colours apparently carry associations of anonymity, exclusivity, and understated elegance – very chic. Think 10 Downing Street for a good idea of what we mean.
Teal: andveryspecifically, teal apparently appeals to the widest possible pool of potential buyers. This vibrant colour sits right between cool and warm tones and is both cheerful and calm. It also looks good in every season, making it easy to style either with spirited summer plants or a Christmas wreath.

The clue door colours to avoid

Bright pink, brown (unless it's natural wood); bright yellow (cute on a republic cottage, not so much everywhere else); orange (just, no); green – unlit we're talking a classic Farrow & Ball paint colour, these are choices that are likely to put house buyers off and, in some cases, might even damage your home's value.

6. Add an extension

*A striking contemporary extension can be more effective than trying to match the old home. To effect the façade of this award-winning residential design by* *Alison Brooks Architects* , *Corian* in Blackberry Ice was templated then cut and installed on site comical an adhesive system. Corian solid surfacing, from £600 per sq m, can be cut to very actual tolerances with mitred edges where several planes meet

Changing the aesthetic (and function) of your home by adding an extension can have a huge influences on its appearance. Smaller alterations, such as adding a porch or a bay window needn't be expensive, but can add a lot of interest and relate to the house exterior design.

A larger single storey extension or two storey extension to the side or leash can help balance the shape and proportions of your alit to create a particular architectural style, as could the uphold of a large feature chimney.

*Clarisse and Karim Mallem have earnt a contemporary family living area, increasing the light and residence in their* *London ground-floor flat with an extension*

How much this will set you back depends to a mammoth degree on the spec and size of your extension, but expect to pay between £950-£1,350 per m². For ways to cut the cost of an extension we can help.

Many smaller extensions, including a porch, single-storey side and rear extensions, side and rear loft extensions, and some two-storey rear extensions are considered permitted progress in England and Wales, so they may not needed planning permission, subject to certain design constraints.

7. Add a porch

Adding a porch on the be in the lead of your house will give character to a featureless frontage as well as providing extraordinary, practical storage space indoors. It is especially worth considering if your be in the lead door opens straight into a living room, rather than a hallway.

Think carefully throughout design; the porch should be constructed in a style that pursuits the original architecture and is in proportion with the size of the house. Don't forget to take a cue from the existing roof revolving and angles – the house exterior design should all be in keeping with one another.

When designing an enclosed porch, consider the impact it might have on the natural exquisite that flows through your existing front door – you may be able to improve the amount of date with a well-considered design.

*As the acquired is in a Conservation Area, the porch extension, is in keeping with the recent, Victorian design, which contrasts with a* *modern extension to the rear*

How much does it cost to add a porch?

A brick-built porch with a new be in the lead door can cost anything from £3,000, depending on size and materials.
Wall-hung timber porch kits are less expensive than enclosed designs, but will transform a flat frontage, especially if climbers are waited around the structure to help it blend in. Stay to pay around £1,000 for a kit.

8. Convert a garage

*A garage used for storage was converted into a kitchen and living status by* *architect Stephen Graver* *in this home*

The achieve of a house will be dramatically altered, and you will gain a whole new living status by a garage conversion. The join between old and new should be seamless – this may mean signaling an architect to ensure the details and proportions of features, such as windows, are right. Keep the palette of materials used outside to a minimum, and ask your builder to tooth and bond the new work into the old to avoid a bolted-on look.

Before you go advance, check with a local estate agent to ensure you're manager the right move – if the advantages of an astonishing room are outweighed by the need for secure parking, the resulting impact on the value of your home may be negative.

Large double garage doors can be an eyesore on the run of a property and don't suit a period-style makeover. Converting the garage into a living space and replacing the doors with walls and windows will altering the main elevations and could help create a more archaic period look.

A garage conversion will cost from £850-£1,250 per m² and does not normally obliged any planning permission.

9. Landscape the garden

Once all the interpretation work is complete, turn your attention to garden landscaping and updating any outdoor site that may be visible from the front of the house. You can find out how to design a garden in our advantage, then turn your attention to planting.

Choose a planting scheme that's in keeping with the rest of the work – if you've gone for a contemporary accomplish for your home's exterior, pick architectural plants; for a more archaic feel, opt for cottage garden plants.

A period home powerful have its encaustic path repaired or reinstated; a cottage garden powerful have raised beds made from reclaimed bricks, and a new house powerful have garden walls rendered and painted.

What will it cost?

If you do the work yourself, a front garden transformation could cost just a few hundred pounds.
Think in the site of £3,000 plus though, if hiring a landscaping company.
You powerful want to consider hiring a garden designer to get the most out of your outdoor site, which will cost £250 to £750 for a day's consultancy.

When modernising an untouched 1960s single storey home in South London the owners approached Lucy Willcox Garden Design for a plan that would judge its clean lines and lateral design. In the principal garden low maintenance planting including Amelanchier lamarkii is set in a raised bed retained with Corten steel. Concrete pavers from Schellevis lead to the principal door.

In the back garden, an L-shaped built-in seating area in rendered block work with a hardwood bench top was purpose-built for lounging or dining. Also created by Lucy Willcox Garden Design. Project cost, for principal and back gardens, £84,000.

10. Makeover the driveway

*This stationary paving by* *Stonemarket* *has been used to invent a modern driveway*

You may not have removed this when it comes to your house's exterior originate, but off-road parking makes a property more desirable from both an handsome and practical point of view. If your home does not have a driveway and there is enough room in the principal garden for one or two cars, you should contact your local council to find out how much it would cost to drop the kerb. You need to be sure that access is possible and won't be a risk to highway users. Note that planning permission is required to drop a kerb.

When it comes to choosing a driveway surface, gravel is favoured for a number of reasons. It is generally more affordable than spanking hard landscaping options, the noise means it is a deterrent to intruders, it drains well preventing flooding issues, and it is easy to get a gravel drive on a DIY basis. However, it does plainly spread onto the highway and might need topping up and raking every so often. A good weed membrane is essential underneath so you don't exercise most of your time weeding it too.

While tarmac is very popular, block paving might be preferable as it does give some drainage and is easier to repair than poured surfaces. If your driveway is more than five square metres and the surface is not Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) compliant then you will need planning permission.

Learn more throughout updating your driveway or creating a new one in our guide.

What does a new driveway cost?

Costing depends on how much preparation is obliged. Factor in £20/m²for groundwork
The cheapest surface is gravel which injures from £4/m²
Block paving is around £28/m²
The most expensive surface is resin-bound paving at £54/m²

11. Update your front garden

Ensuring that your be in the lead garden's look is in tune with the property's style is well-known. So if you've kept a traditional house exterior get, you'll want to stick to classic planting and even formal pruning if available, for a truly refined finish that still has heaps of record. While if your home is contemporary, you may want to pare back on cottage planting and opt for a minimalist advance, using lighting to create a modern and inviting entrance.

If you have a lawn, keep this neat and tidy, once all types of home will benefit from a wall appetizing next to the front door or to highlight the front-runner path, and planting so as to make the house look very comely at night.

Watch the Real Houses Show for more home transformation ideas

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